ISSUE 15.2017

PIONEERS IN ELECTRICITY. Researching direct current in Ilmenau. p. 6

THE ELECTRICITY MAVERICK. An inter-view with Philipp Schröder, Tesla's ex-head ofoperations in Germany. p. 10

THE PILOT PROJECT. Leading the way in using direct current. p. 16

CABLEWORLDM A G A Z I N E F O R L A P P G R O U P C U S T O M E R S

A PARADIGM SHIFTTHE REVOLUTION IN THE POWER GRID

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READY FOR CHANGE

Dear readers,

The question is not ‘whether’, but ‘when’. Sooner or later, alternating current will supplement direct

current in the industrial sector. For the Lapp Group, this change will come sooner rather than later,

as we devote our efforts to the technology of tomorrow, today.

So we already know that these innovations will bring new challenges, for instance new standards

and requirements for our components and solutions.

Investing time and money in this now is a typical approach from the Lapp Group: we conduct thor-

ough research so that our customers can benefit from this knowledge and be prepared to switch

over to the new technology – whenever this improvement comes.

We hope you find the insights and opinions in this magazine interesting. Happy reading!

Yours sincerely

Andreas Lapp

UP CLOSE THE PILOT PROJECT

How Bachmann is planning ahead and leading the way with direct current

PROFILE INNOVATION IS NOT A ONE-MAN SHOW

Guido Ege, Head of Product Management and Product Development

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COVER STORY

IN FOCUS

IN MOTION A PARADIGM SHIFT

On the revolution in the power grid

IN CONVERSATION THE ELECTRICITY MAVERICK

An interview with Philipp Schröder, ex-Tesla boss and current Managing Director of sonnen

IN CONCERT AC/DC

Useless facts about the rock band

IN FIGURES DIRECTLY FROM THE ELECTRICITY METER

Incredible facts about our main theme

IN FOCUS PIONEERS IN ELECTRICITY

A visit to the researchers investigating direct current in Ilmenau

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CABLE WORLD IN MOTION

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6,500 TRIPS TO THE SUN AND BACK

48% of net electricity in Germany is used in in-

dustry: around 250 terawatt hours per year.

An electric car such as the e-Golf could cover a

distance of 1.97 billion kilometres – the equiva-

lent of 6,500 trips to the sun and back.

6,500 x

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THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE TO ELECTRICITY FOR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS: ALTERNATING CURRENT HAS BEEN THE STANDARD FOR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRICAL ENERGY FOR ALL THIS TIME. THERE ARE MANY POS-ITIVE ASPECTS TO THE UPCOMING CHANGE, WHICH WILL SEE OLD TECHNOLOGY – ALTERNATING CURRENT – COME UP AGAINST STIFF COMPETITION. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS DIRECT CURRENT’S TIME TO SHINE.

A PARADIGM SHIFT. THE REVOLUTION IN THE POWER GRID.

The history of electrification began with a miscalculation: in the 19th

century, inventor Thomas Edison sided with direct current transmis-

sion, even though the competing technology, alternating current,

clearly had the edge over it. And so began what is now known as

the ‘War of Currents’: direct current versus alternating current. DC

versus AC. Thomas Edison versus George Westinghouse. With Nikola

Tesla caught up in the middle. In the end, AC technology saw off the

competition and became the benchmark. Until now.

Because 86 years after Edison’s death, everything is about to change.

The direct current technology favoured by Thomas Edison for Ameri-

ca’s large-scale energy supply has many supporters today. Why? The

methods we now use to generate, distribute and consume electricity

have fundamentally changed, and the obstacles encountered back

then are no more. Many factors that once counted against DC are

now easy to manage, not least as a result of specialised switches

and connectors and the invention of power electronics. So is it time

for a paradigm shift?

DIRECT CURRENT MAY BE THE FUTURELess conversion loss, more stability in the energy grids, saving on

components, improved integration of renewable energies – there are

plenty of arguments in favour of direct current. The technology en-

ables large capacities to be transmitted across long distances with

far fewer losses than seen in alternating current. This is why direct

current is booming in countries such as China: this is the only way to

transmit huge amounts of energy from the large dams to the megac-

ities and hubs of industry.

More savings, less energy loss – no wonder there are lively debates,

for instance in industry, on direct current, both with regard to trans-

mitting energy across great distances and distributing electricity to

consumers. This discussion is also being held within the Lapp Group,

which is an associated partner in the "DC Industrie" research project.

What does direct current mean for cables? This is being investigated

at an early stage in this project and other initiatives.

Yet direct current is not uncharted territory for Lapp. We already

have many years of experience as a result of products used in direct

current applications, for example cables used to distribute energy

through photovoltaic systems or charging systems for electric vehi-

cles and hybrid cars, and we are well prepared for this revolution in

the power grid.

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THE ACTUAL LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY

When power plants feed alternating current into the grid and and all kinds of appliances, from vacuum cleaners to indus-trial drives, use this energy, the level of efficiency is around 65%. In other words, around 1/3 of the energy is lost, e.g. through thermal loss as a result of several conversions from AC to DC and back again. By contrast, an electricity grid systematically configured to direct current would achieve an overall efficiency of 90%.

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DIRECT CURRENT MEANS DIRECT SAVINGS

Direct current has been around ever since electricity

was invented. And with new renewable energy power

plants, the development of energy storage and the

progress in switched-mode power supply and elec-

tronics, the spotlight is back on this current type.

The technology promises a reduction in energy trans-

mission losses of up to 30%.

CABLE WORLD IN FOCUS

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Lightning bolts flash and electrical discharges fizz. Everybody in the room is wearing earmuffs

and goggles. 400,000 volt experiments are being conducted behind fences several metres

high. This is just another day in the laboratory at the Ilmenau University of Technology, where

Berger heads up the Electrical Apparatus and Switchgear Group. “This is classic electrical

engineering experiencing a rebirth,” he laughs. Frank Berger should know; you could call him

the direct-current guru.

What looks like the command centre in a James Bond villain's lair is a little nod from the for-

mer German Democratic Republic. “I purposefully left it this way,” said Berger. With old-fash-

ioned switchgear and measuring instruments. After all, his research topic of direct current is

steeped in history: “From a physicist’s viewpoint, all of this was discovered about 150 years

ago.” Now the focus is on the optimum price, use of materials and functionality. In other

words: in light of new DC applications, what changes need to be made to components, their

construction and materials, especially when used in low voltage?

THE ELECTRIC ARC RISKThere is a test that is spectacular in demonstrating the need for this research: in an experi-

mental setup, an electric arc rotates between two rails at up to 80 km/h and a temperature

of between 8,000 and 10,000 Kelvin. “When you pull a plug out of a socket charged with AC

current when it is still on, nothing happens. If you did that to the same plug with DC current,

the socket would burn and melt,” explained Professor Berger, demonstrating this statement.

This is the difference between alternating current, where the electric arc in the switching

operation always quenches. This is due to the fact that zero-voltage switching occurs twice

in a 50 Hz cycle of alternating current. So the Ilmenau-based scientists are working meticu-

lously on specialised methods in instrument engineering that will force the switching arc to

quench in direct current applications.

Professor Frank Berger and his team are research-ing the electricity of the future.

PIONEERS IN ELECTRICITY

50 KILOMETRES OUTSIDE OF ERFURT, IN A TOWN CALLED ILMENAU, PROFESSOR FRANK BERGER AND HIS TEAM ARE RESEARCHING THE ELECTRICITY OF THE FUTURE – DIRECT CURRENT – AND THE QUESTION OF HOW TO OPTIMISE CABLES AND SWITCHGEAR FOR THIS POWER TYPE. BERGER IS CERTAIN OF ONE THING: “AC AND DC HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING WAS INVENTED – BUT THE FOCUS IS ABOUT TO SHIFT.”

ABOUT THE ILMENAU UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

The Electrical Apparatus and Switchgear Group at the Ilmenau University of Tech-nology researches electrical equipment, from energy generation to transmission and distribution right through to its use. In its work, the group focuses on experiments into the behaviour and influence of electric arcs when used in industrial applications and in the home, and the behaviour of in-sulating materials in DC voltage.

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THE VISION FOR DIRECT CURRENTEven Frank Berger can only guess how direct current technology will be implemented. He

thinks Germany, and most industrialised nations, have excellent and stable supply with their

AC power grids, and that it will be difficult to implement this new technology here any time

soon, despite its benefits. “But a quarter of the global population has no electricity, so the

change will occur faster there than in industrialised countries.” He adds that the best way

to supply electricity to people, for example in rural regions in India, is through stand-alone

power systems with direct current.

However, this way involves physical and technical challenges, not least in terms of the suit-

ability of switchgear and AC voltage cables.

PROGRESS THROUGH RESEARCH INTO CABLESCables are another research topic at Ilmenau University of Technology, in particular in ref-

erence to the electrical fields that they are exposed to. After all, much of what has already

been researched with regard to alternating current is uncharted territory with direct current.

This is also the case for Professor Berger and his team, who are conducting experiments on

Lapp’s cables in a specialised test bench.

Can AC cables also be used in DC networks? “In theory, yes,” Berger hesitates. “But there

are differences that need to be considered. For example, we have seen that cables behave

differently at high temperatures in DC voltage than in AC voltage.”

The lab tests by Frank Berger at the Ilmenau University of Technology in collaboration with

the Lapp Group suggest that knowledge of one system cannot be simply transferred to the

other – alternating current is not the same as direct current. Further research is needed to

find out whether the revolution of electricity will also require a revolution for the components.

CABLE WORLD IN FOCUS

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“IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMPLE: YOU NEED

TO WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD.”

CABLE WORLD IN CONVERSATION

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THE ELECTRICITY MAVERICK

Philipp Schröder, fossil fuels vs. renewable energy sources, cor-

poration vs. startup: it seems we are in the midst of the War of

Currents 2.0. Who will win this time?

There used to be just a few major central power stations that would

generate electricity for hundreds of thousands of people. We all

thought it would be like this forever. But suddenly there are 1.6 mil-

lion photovoltaic systems in Germany also generating electricity.

They do not belong to the corporations; they are primarily owned by

citizens. So the number of ‘prosumers’ – producers and consumers

in one – is increasing.

Now is the time to create an intelligent network and establish a

completely new energy system. This is what we are doing and we

are very confident.

But electricity flows so nicely out of the power outlet. Why is a

revolution of electricity even necessary?

Because people now care where their electricity comes from. They

want clean, affordable energy and no nuclear power plants. If you

generate your own electricity, you develop a completely new aware-

ness of it. This shows that even decades-long habits can be broken

with the right concept.

What should the major electricity providers fear most: the in-

novative strength behind the idea, the clout of a startup or the

temerity of Philipp Schröder?

Even though it would be nice, the temerity of Philipp Schröder is

probably the least of the major electricity providers’ worries. But on

a serious note: we do not have our own expensive power plants – our

customers contribute these themselves, we just network them. We

are an energy producer without our own power plants, if you like.

In the same way that AirBnB is a hotel without its own hotel rooms.

If you need proof that we are innovative, look no further than the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They included us in

their list of the 50 Smartest Companies 2016 alongside Amazon,

Facebook and Tesla.

Revolutionising mobility with Tesla or the electricity market

with sonnen – which one is more difficult?

Both companies are fighting for the same thing: the rejection of an

outdated, dirty technology in favour of a modern and clean one.

There are decades-old structures and mindsets in both fields. Chang-

EX-TESLA BOSS PHILIPP SCHRÖDER IS CALLING FOR A REVOLUTION. WITH INTELLIGENT STORAGE TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLAR ENERGY, HIS COMPANY ‘SONNEN’ HAS BECOME THE WORLD’S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. HIS GOAL? TO PLACE ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON ENERGY PRICES AND TO OUST THE DINO-SAURS OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.

ing either is very difficult, especially in the beginning. Every mistake

is seen as proof that it cannot work. But if enough people participate,

it can accelerate the process. This is the same in both markets.

Which is the stronger driving force behind the fundamental

change in the energy market: new technologies or new busi-

ness ideas?

New business models are needed for new technologies. Until 2015,

sonnen was ‘just’ the world’s largest manufacturer of energy storage

systems. The unique business model was that we consumed this en-

ergy ourselves. Now we are also the largest energy-sharing platform

with many completely new services beyond our own consumption.

This is the only way we can continue to grow and help to change the

energy market.

What has Philipp Schröder learned from Elon Musk? And what

could Elon Musk learn from Philipp Schröder?

I don't want to unduly claim that Elon could learn something from

me. I learned so much in my time with Tesla, and of course from the

man himself. But one thing has proven to be well-founded time and

time again: if you want something more than the others, then you

can achieve it.

You are in your early 30s. Where do you get the energy to turn

the energy market upside down?

I started at a young age. At 24, I had founded my first renewable

energy company. But it’s actually pretty simple: you need to feel

confident and want to change the world.

sonnen produces batteries that homeowners can use to store the energy that their photovoltaic system generates. Customers share their excess energy with others via the sonnenCommunity. More than 100,000 people have received an electricity supply in this way. Philipp Schröder, ex-head of operations in Germany for US electric carmaker Tesla, is responsible for the global expansion of sonnen in Germany, Italy, the UK, Australia and the USA.

ABOUT SONNEN GMBH

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ALTERNATING CURRENT/ DIRECT CURRENT: USELESS FACTS ABOUT AC/DC

‘HIGHWAY TO HELL’, ‘HELLS BELLS’ OR ‘T.N.T.’ – THE ALTERNATING CURRENT VS. DIRECT CURRENT DEBATE WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT ITS LOUDEST REPRESENTATIVES: AUSTRALIAN ROCK BAND AC/DC, WHICH PAYS HOMAGE TO BOTH TYPES OF CURRENT IN ITS NAME! A BAND THAT HAS SOLD MORE THAN 200 MILLION ALBUMS WORLDWIDE – AND STILL HAS HIDDEN SECRETS DESPITE ITS FAME. HERE ARE THE MOST ELECTRIFYING FACTS ABOUT AC/DC:

CABLE WORLD IN CONCERT

An eponymous sewing machine

The rockers did not get the inspiration for the name AC/DC from

a guitar amp, as many assume. In actual fact, the sister of the

two founders Angus and Malcolm Young owned a sewing machine

bearing the letters ‘AC/DC’, indicating that you could use it with

either alternating or direct current. And Margaret Young inspired

her brothers to pick this name. In their home country of Australia,

the band is also colloquially known as ‘Acca Dacca’.

Copyright protected

Back in the 1930s, there was a music group called ‘AC/DC Cur-

rent’ with members Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian and Lionel

Hampton. And: the designer of the world-famous AC/DC logo with

the lightning bolt never received a single cent for its use on fan

merchandise!

Let there be rock

The first AC/DC concert was held in a club in Sydney on New

Year’s Eve in 1973. Angus Young was still under age and had to

be driven home after the concert. Their debut album was released

in 1975 after a few changes to the line-up. It had an ‘electrifying’

title: High Voltage.

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Out of school but still in uniform

The same sister who came up with the AC/DC name also hit up on

the idea that Angus Young should wear a school uniform on stage.

This was inspired by the time when Angus would go straight to band

practice in the garage after school, without getting changed.

A slip-up becomes a signature move

During one of the band’s first concerts, Angus Young tripped over his

cable and tried to cover up the fall. Angus laid on the floor and carried

on rocking. Playing on the floor became his signature move (and no,

of course it wasn’t a Lapp cable).

Wireless

The consequence? As cables obstructed his animated performance,

Angus Young became one of the first guitarists to use a wireless sys-

tem. And his uniform was once again pivotal here: the transmitter was

fitted into a school satchel, which Angus Young wore on stage.

No AC, no DC

‘Back in Black’ is the third best-selling album of all time with more than

50 million copies sold. It was recorded in spring 1980 on the Baha-

mas, where tropical storms caused several power cuts, and became

the inspiration behind the first lines of Hells Bells: “I’m rolling thun-

der, pourin’ rain. I’m comin’ on like a hurricane. My lighting’s flashing

across the sky...”

CABLE WORLD UP CLOSE

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The Bachmann Group develops, produces and sells innovative electron-ic components and systems, predominantly for the office, IT, electrical wholesalers, kitchenware and industry. It employs around 700 staff and has 12 subsidiaries and a partner network spanning 27 countries.

ABOUT BACHMANN

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THE PILOT PROJECT.HOW BACHMANN IS PLANNING AHEAD AND LEADING THE WAY WITH DIRECT CURRENT.

DIRECT CURRENT – STUTTGART-BASED

COMPANY BACHMANN HAS LONG BEEN

DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. AND NOT JUST

IN THEORY: THE GLOBAL ELECTRONICS

COMPANY’S OWN IT EQUIPMENT, AIR-CON-

DITIONING SYSTEM AND LIGHTING HAS

BEEN OPERATED USING 380 V DC VOLTAGE

FOR TWO YEARS NOW. WE VISIT THESE PI-

ONEERS.

The first installation where the servers, lighting and air-conditioning run on DC does not

even seem like a pioneering achievement: it is a technical room, a server room. “Warning!

380 V direct current” is written on the door. This is the only indication that a mini-revolution

is under way behind these doors. And it is meant to be this way. “The more inconspicuous

the DC technology is, the more likely people are to trust it,” explained Tilo Püschel when

discussing Bachmann’s thoughts behind this.

Püschel is kind of like a project pilot for this pilot project. His task is to look for new busi-

ness fields. To do this, he has spent years analysing the market for direct current technol-

ogy, and ultimately utilised it himself. The Bachmann server room features IT equipment,

lighting and an air-conditioning system operated using direct current – they are connected

to the company’s rooftop photovoltaic system.

KNOWING HOW DIRECT CURRENT WORKSWhy is Bachmann so committed to direct current? “You will find a plug socket in each of our

products,” explained Tilo Püschel. “If the direct current market comes to fruition, we want

to be ready.” When they started, they had neither components nor experience. “So let’s go

out and gain this experience” was the ethos shared by all at Bachmann.

Püschel believes in direct current. He predicts that it will soon take hold in computer cen-

tres. Soon meaning within the next three to four years. In small-scale offices with isolated

installations. But he adds that the fear of contact is too high in domestic environments. Yet

at Bachmann, they are sure that direct current is coming.

In this sense, Lapp and Bachmann are not just connecting geographic environments but

technological ones, too. The two companies are joining forces to further the topic of direct

current. Our attention turns to the multitude of design awards on the wall. You don’t win

these for following suit; you have to lead the way. Be a pioneer and break ground. This

seems to be the way of life at Bachmann.

“INNOVATION IS NOT A ONE-MAN SHOW”

GUIDO EGE HAS BEEN WITH THE COMPANY

FOR 26 YEARS, THE PAST TWO IN THE ROLE

OF HEAD OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. “I HAVE SPENT

THE MAJORITY OF MY WORKING LIFE

HERE,” HE LAUGHS. AND HE THEN SKILFUL-

LY CHANGES THE SUBJECT, AS EGE WOULD

RATHER TALK ABOUT INNOVATION THAN

TRADITION.

That somebody like him, who loves a challenge, has spent more than two-and-a-half decades

at the same company, is not a contradiction: “There have always been lively challenges.”

And innovation has always been in the mix. “We are a customer-oriented company,” stresses

Ege. “So we are very close to the market, we can better understand issues and thus find

innovative solutions.”

And Ege lets us in on a little secret: the best way to do this is by being open and willing to try

new things. He gives us a vivid example: he spent three years working for Lapp in Singapore.

Learning to be open minded and live by this ethos. Hot on the heels of other cultures and

other ways of working.

What are Ege’s factors for success? Teamwork, creativity, methodology and openness: “Look-

ing at things from various perspectives – especially as a team. Innovation is not a one-man

show.” He then says you need to consider new things in addition to tried-and-tested certain-

ties. After all, perhaps the circumstances have changed. “Then other ideas that were not

previously possible can suddenly be made a reality.” Like the idea of direct current.

WHEN THINGS BECOME CONCEIVABLE “As a market leader, we need to promote progress and create the right momentum,” recounts

Guido Ege. “With the Lapp Technology Radar and the collaboration with universities and

institutes, we are hot on the heels of these trends.” New technologies have pushed direct

current to the forefront, making a rebirth conceivable.

At the end of the day, technological development never stops. Keyword energy revolution.

This is what has made people think about DC, and made it a priority for Ege. “These are

exciting topics and challenges that we want to counter with solutions.” And even 26 years

into his career, he can clearly imagine this happening in future.

CABLE WORLD: PROFILE

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DIRECTLY FROM THE ELECTRICITY METER

CABLE WORLD IN FIGURES

As a result of conversion loss, the efficiency of the

German electricity grid has sunk to around 56%.

A grid systematically configured to direct current

would achieve an overall efficiency of 90%. With just

a 10% increase in efficiency, the two largest brown

coal power plants in Germany could be shut down.

And this would save 63 million tonnes of CO2 – or

12% of all CO2 and 29% of nitric oxide emissions.

The world consumes a total of 16,330 billion kilo-

watt hours of electricity per year. Written out as a

figure, that is 16,330,000,000,000 kilowatt hours

of electricity.

Alternating voltages of up to 1,000 volts and di-

rect voltages of up to 1,500 volts are known as low

voltage. Anything higher than this is described as

medium or high voltage. The highest direct voltage

in actual use is currently 800,000 volts in a trans-

mission system in China.

IN FAVOUR OF DIRECT CURRENT

WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED?

HIGH AND LOW

Direct current heavyweight Thomas Edison man-

aged to make his first home-made light bulb shine

for 13-and-a-half hours. The life cycle was later ex-

tended by, among other things, replacing the carbon

filament with a spiral-shaped tungsten filament.

EDISON IN THE RED CORNER

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In the opposite corner, alternating current champi-

on George Westinghouse was commissioned to il-

luminate the World’s Fair in Chicago. Nikola Tesla

designed lighting equipment to run on alternating

current, which lit up more than 200,000 light bulbs

and left 30 million visitors stunned.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, prices in

Germany increased by an average of 27% from 1999

to 2016. Within the same period, the price trend for

electricity was way above average at 92%. However,

dried vegetables came off even worse, with a 138%

price increase.

WESTINGHOUSE IN THE BLUE CORNER

ABOVE AVERAGE

The average Google search uses 0.3 watt-hours,

causing two grams of CO2 emissions. An eBay auc-

tion consumes much more: 18 grams of CO2.

SURFING ON ELECTRICITY

Most wires and cables that we come into contact

with are safely insulated using rubber or plastic. So

it would be logical to assume that overhead pow-

er-lines are also insulated – after all, birds can

sit on them without getting injured. But this is

not the case. The only reason why birds are not elec-

trocuted here is because they are not touching the

ground when they sit on the cable. So electricity

does not flow through them.

SITTING ON ELECTRICITY

In 2017, 17% of the global population still do not

use electricity. In developing countries, the so-called

electrification rate is 77%. Although 91% of the ur-

ban population have access to electricity, this figure

is just 64% in rural areas.

WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

PUBLISHING DETAILS

Overall responsibility: Dr Markus MüllerMedia relations U.I. Lapp GmbHSchulze-Delitzsch-Str. 2570565 StuttgartPhone +49 (0)711 7838-01Fax +49 (0)711 7838-2640www.lappkabel.comkabelwelt@lappkabel.de

Editorial team: Kai Thomas Geiger Photography: Maiwolf

Published: half yearlyCopyright 2017 by U.I. Lapp GmbHAll rights reserved. Copying, reproduction, distribution using electronic systems, including extracts, only with the approval of U.I. Lapp GmbH.

ÖLFLEX®, UNITRONIC®, HITRONIC®, SKINTOP®, SILVYN®, FLEXIMARK®, EPIC® and ETHERLINE® are registered trademarks of the Lapp Group.